Director Jim Jarmusch, long known for his use of music, delivers stellar soundtrack with band Squrl

Director Jim Jarmusch and his band Squrl contributed to much of the soundtrack for "Only Lovers Left Alive." From Left: Jim Jarmusch, Shane Stonebeck and Carter Logan.

(Sara Driver)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Jarmusch’s films not only feature cool music, they are also inspired by it.

It all started with his 1984 breakthrough, “Stranger Than Paradise.” The film was not only partly shot in Cleveland, it also features “I Put a Spell on You,” by Cleveland-born R&B legend, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

Look beyond the location, however – for it is more than a local riff. The song acts as a reoccuring character in the film.

Jarmusch’s very personal use of music has always played such a role in his films, especially this time around in “Only Lovers Left Alive.”

The film -- which features guitar junkies played by Tom Hiddleston and Anton Yelchin -- rolls out a soundtrack that was constructed by Squrl. The band features Jarmusch and “Only Lovers” co-producer and actor Carter Logan, along with Shane Stonebeck.

The film won the Best Soundtrack Award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. A mix of feedback and haunting drones, it also features the beautiful lute playing of Jozef van Wissem.

“Whereas someone like Wes Anderson creates a soundtrack out of existing music, we created music for the film,” says Jarmusch, via phone from Manhattan. “It’s a different approach to music, but also film.”

The soundtrack not only compliments “Only Lovers,” it also inspired the direction of the film.

“I would have a rhythm in my head and I knew that Josef’s music was going to be in it, so it played a role in how we approached the film,” says Jarmusch.

Like the film, the music evolved during the making of “Only Lovers.”

“We knew going in that Squrl would do a lot of the music for the scenes set in Detroit,” says Logan, who is also working with Jarmusch on an upcoming documentary about Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

One of the songs incorporates is the unique of approach of playing to “Funnel of Love,” an oldie by Wanda Jackson – after slowing the song down a great deal.

“Both Wanda Jackson and Charlie Feathers were in Jim’s head during the making of the film,” says Logan. “So we had this idea to take the original song, slow it down a lot and then add parts on top.”